(Oakland, CA) California Humanities’ Democracy and Informed Citizen initiative, part of a new CA 2020: Youth Perspective and the Future of California suite of programs focusing on the lives and experiences of young people in California, will launch in San Diego on April 11 in partnership with the San Diego Community College District and in association with the 7th Annual Restoring Respect Conference at University of San Diego. The Democracy and the Informed Citizen initiative aims to engage a broad cross-section of young Californians in a consideration of the vital connections between democracy and journalism and will bring Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists to campuses, provide hands-on media literacy training, and help amplify young people’s voices and perspectives in the public dialogue.

“As young people prepare to participate in civic life, we want to engage them and the wider community in discussions about how journalism and the media are part of a thriving democracy,” said Julie Fry, President & CEO of California Humanities. The Democracy and the Informed Citizen initiative is an investment in our future leaders as they discover how to share their voices on issues that affect us all.”

ON IMMIGRATION AND JOURNALISM, a free public event features a conversation between Pulitzer-Prize winning journalist and author Sonia Nazario and founder of Studiotobe Joaquin Alvarado on April 11 from 6-8:30pm at the Jacobs Center for Neighborhood Innovation in San Diego. Please register here.

Nazario won the Pulitzer Prize in 2003 for her six-part series Enrique’s Journey, now a best-selling book, about the experiences of Latin American children who immigrated to join their parents in the United States. Alvarado is the former CEO of the Center for Investigative Reporting.

The Democracy and Informed Citizen initiative of CA 2020 will continue throughout 2018 with programs and events in partnership with Bakersfield College, Foothill-De Anza Community College District and Shasta College. It is funded in part by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation’s Democracy and the informed Citizen Initiative, in partnership with the Pulitzer Prizes and administered by the Federation of State Humanities Councils, and the Knight Foundation Fund.

ABOUT CA 2020: Youth Perspective and the Future of California CA 2020: Youth Perspective and the Future of California, a new statewide initiative focusing on the lives and experiences of young Californians. CA 2020 is designed to engage a broad and representative cross-section of young people in a consideration of the issues that both divide and unite us, as well as the futures they envision for themselves and their communities.

Throughout this new suite of programs, our goal is to encourage critical thinking, civic engagement and active contributions of youth to our democracy and the future well-being of California.

ABOUT CALIFORNIA HUMANITIESCalifornia Humanities, a nonprofit partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities, promotes the humanities – focused on ideas, conversation and learning – as relevant, meaningful ways to understand the human condition and connect us to each other in order to help strengthen California. California Humanities has provided grants and programs across the state since 1975. To learn more visit www.calhum.org, or follow them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.